Police: New Caney man tried to bribe cop in 5th DWI arrest

Vicente Velazquez was arrested Dec. 1. 2004, in Montgomery County on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Vicente Velazquez was arrested Dec. 1. 2004, in Montgomery County on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Photo: Montgomery County

Photo: Montgomery County

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Vicente Velazquez was arrested Dec. 1. 2004, in Montgomery County on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Vicente Velazquez was arrested Dec. 1. 2004, in Montgomery County on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Photo: Montgomery County

Police: New Caney man tried to bribe cop in 5th DWI arrest

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A New Caney man has been indicted on charges of driving while intoxicated and bribery.

Vicente Velazquez, 55, was arrested Aug. 18 in Montgomery County. According to court records, he offered money to the arresting state trooper.

A Montgomery County grand jury indicted him Oct. 22 on the two charges.

Velazquez was arrested about 1:05 a.m. Aug. 18 after the maroon pickup he was driving rear-ended another vehicle on FM 1314 at the U.S. 59 frontage road, Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Bradlee Thornton said.

When a state trooper placed him under arrest, he allegedly offered the officer $1,000 to let him go, Thornton said.

According to the accident report, no one was seriously injured in the crash, Thornton said.

Online records indicate Velazquez was released on $7,500 bond for the DWI charge and $10,000 bond for the bribery charge.

In Texas, the first and second DWI convictions are typically misdemeanors but a third conviction is a third-degree felony, punishable by two to 10 years in prison.

According to law enforcement records, Velazquez has been arrested five times on charges of driving while intoxicated, with two prior convictions.

As a condition of bond for the DWI charge, Velazquez was ordered to have an "interlock" device installed at his own expense on the vehicle he drives most often. Such a device uses deep-lung breath analysis that makes driving impractical if alcohol is detected, court records state.